Was environmental justice served? An article published by Bloomberg in September 2019 discussed whether the conflict is aNIMBY (not in my backyard) issue that is frequently associated with RE projects [13]. The US Bureau of Land Management (BLM) allows the CDCA Plan (California Desert Conservation Area) for construction, operation and decommissioning especially considering: 1. Password (at least 8 characters required). [click to view], [5] Chuckwalla Valley Solar Sprawl, (Basin and Range Watch, 13-Jun-2010) [Accessed: 04-Oct-2019][click to view], [5] Basin and Range Watch, 13-Jun-2010. Finally, the BLM authorized the project, stating that it provides the most public benefits and avoids the most cultural, biological and hydrological resources [4]. But once it does, that could reduce the incentive to continue producing solar in the state unless a tighter goal is mandated. : Some amendments and changes were partially accepted and implemented into the plan, thus taking into account the concerns of affected groups. The Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating Station, the worlds largest concentrating solar power (CSP) facility, was dedicated Thursday afternoon, The growth curve for solar power continues its upward trajectory, thanks to technologies such as perovskites, heterojunction solar, Owners/operators: Sempra U.S. Gas & Power and Consolidated Edison Development Sempra U.S. Gas & Powers jointly owned Mesquite. First Solars stock, for example, has dipped as oil prices have decreased. In detail, protesters claim the FEIS to not adequately taking the following impact categories into account. They demand that at least a transparent and open communication is needed [5].
Chuckwalla Valley Solar Sprawl (Accessed: 04-Oct-2019). Multiple Use Class: inconsistency with the CDCAs Multiple Use Class, which describes how desert areas of the state can possibly be utilized in different applications. [2] The approved project uses solar photovoltaics and consists of three main components which are the interconnection line (220 kV), the solar farm site and the Red Bluff substation. Do you consider this an environmental justice success? [click to view], [15] The Desert Sun, Sammy Roth, 17 May 2018. [2], The conceptualization of the Desert Sunlight Solar Farm (DSSF) project was initialized in 2008 by the developing company First Solar Inc and it got final approval in August 2011 [3]. 2022 TIME USA, LLC. That means the worlds largest solar farm was conceived by private business that profited from tighter state environmental regulations, with their costs underwritten in part by a federal incentive program. Courtesy: First Solar. [3]. The tribal chairman Dennis Patch described the tribes' homelands spread over far beyond the Reservations boundaries. A 30% federal investment tax credit will decrease to 10% by 2016. Desert Sunlight sits just outside Desert Center (pop. Solar farm outside Joshua Tree National Park gets go-ahead from Trump) [Accessed: 17-Oct-2019]. But First Solar, which makes its solar modules in the U.S. and Malaysia, is betting on its automated, in-house production and less-expensive components to insulate it from fluctuations in the market. Just how long Desert Sunlight holds second place remains to be seen. Solyndra, a solar-energy company championing what it believed were innovative and more efficient panels made of cylindrical tubes, became a punching bag for conservatives after cheap silicon forced the company to declare bankruptcy in 2011 despite a $500 million loan guarantee from the federal government. And when Desert Sunlight was conceived, I think people thought it was this ambitious California thing to do and wasnt very economical. Between 2007 and 2010, experts retained by First Solar performed biological surveys within the proposed project boundaries. One thing that set Desert Sunlight apart from other large solar projects is that it employs First Solars Series 3 cadmium-telluride (CdTe) thin-film solar panels rather than the more common crystalline silicon panels (Figure 1). Further, sulfur hexafluoride(SF6)is an isolating gas that is generally being utilized for high-voltage transformers and switch gears. Solar Energy and 2. All that free sunlight is converted into electricity that flows into Californias thirsty power grid, eventually helping charge iPhones in Los Angeles and switch on TVs in Sacramento. [11] 2. Law360 provides the intelligence you need to remain an expert and beat the competition. PLEASE NOTE: A verification email will be sent to your address before you can access your trial. 8, pp 1802-1803) in order to prepare the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS). We are first in your inbox with the most important news in the industry―keeping you smarter and one-step ahead in this ever-changing and competitive market. Desert Sunlight was originally designed with 77.5-watt modules with an efficiency of 10.7%, but by the projects completion, module wattage had increased to 97.5 watts with an efficiency of 13.5%. I applaud the project proponents for their vision and entrepreneurial spirit to build this solar project, and commend [California] Governor Brown for implementing policies that take action on climate change and help move our nation toward a renewable energy future.. Judging by its scale and location on thousands of acres of public land, Desert Sunlight seems like other sprawling, ambitious government projects before it, a Hoover Dam for the age of climate change. All of which means that solar power may succeed without more utility-scale projects like Desert Sunlight coming online. At the edge of the Mojave Desert, about 80 miles (130 km) east of Palm Springs, Calif., millions of midnight blue solar panels stretch to the horizon, angled toward the sky like reclining sunbathers. NaturalResources Defense Council, 3. ET) , to start a free trial, get pricing information, order a reprint, or post an article link on your website. By Alyssa Aquino (November 3, 2021, 4:20 PM EDT) -- The U.S. Court of Federal Claims has refused to end a California solar farm's legal challenge to $59 million worth of denied green energy cash grants, saying the farm had submitted enough evidence backing what it said it was worth. Groundwater recharge is not consistent with the U.S. Geological Survey Model. (N. P. C. Association, 2012)[click to view], [4] NPCA, 2012. Future plants may end up being half the size of these new behemoths. Solar energy has been becoming more and more price-competitive in the South-West of the USA due to the decreasing prices of the technology (e.g. Power from Desert Sunlight was sold to Southern California Edison (250 MW for 20 years) and Pacific Gas & Electric (300 MW for 30 years) under two power purchase agreements. But thats changed as a dramatic increase in solar-panel productionbrought about by a global expansion in manufacturing capacityhas sent costs plummeting. Solar is now a $15 billion business in the U.S., employing more people than coal mining, even as costs continue to decrease. But how Desert Sunlight got there is still significant. Though the power output alone makes the size of Desert Sunlight clear, a few more numbers add some detail. [10] In 2014, an article on the groundwater use of the solar project stated that the project is allowed to take 1,407 + 100 acre-feet for the solar plant construction and then 0.2 acre-feet/year. Furthermore, the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) seeks, with a report released in 2012, the U.S. Department of the Interior to keep industrial power development out of the variance zones and instead focusing the development of solar farms on already disturbed land. Just how fast are things moving in solar? [click to view], [6]Desert Sunlight Solar Farm | First Solar. (First Solar) [Accessed: 04-Oct-2019][click to view], [6] First Solar company webpage Desert Sunlight Solar Farm | First Solar. (First Solar) (Accessed: 04-Oct-2019)[click to view], [7] Desert Sunlight Solar Farm Archives | California Policy Center. (California Policy Center, Kevin Dayton, July 20, 2013) [Accessed: 14-Oct-2019]. Though largely vacant and undeveloped, there were environmental concerns, specifically the desert tortoise, which is indigenous to the area and is listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. [click to view], [8] C. Clarke, Group Calls For Strict Limits on Solar Power Near National Parks | Solar PEIS | ReWire | KCET, (KCET, Cris Clarke, September 18, 2012) [Accessed: 14-Oct-2019]. (10 cm). Still, with California moving this year to a 50% by 2030 renewable portfolio target, the demand for large solar seems unlikely to slacken. The article also refers to the Palen Solar Project that was supposed to be built very close by, but also applies to the DSSF project as the surrounding contest is very similar [15]. According to California Policy Center[7], the union did the following steps in order to prevent projects from being build or other unions/companies receiving the order: 1. Desert Sunlight is only one of a number of large solar projects supported by the LPOthese include POWER Top Plants such as Agua Caliente and Solana Generating Stationbut the size of this guarantee was exceeded only by the $1.6 billion for POWERs 2014 Plant of the Year, Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating Station. There are usually flash-floods washing down from the Eagle Mountains close-by. Law360 takes your privacy seriously. Here, the sun has few enemies. The NPCA's Southeast Regional Directorargued that the states solar-energy achievements took a toll on wildlife habitat and encroached on national parklands, including Joshua Tree and the Mojave National Preserve. [1] On the project, he said that the road that we traveled to get to this result was fraught with poor siting decisions that harmed protected wildlife, our national parks, and beloved recreational sites. Developing a mammoth solar PV plant, especially one located on public land, is a complicated, years-long process. [click to view], [13] NIMBYs Shoot Down Green Projects Next Door While Planet Burns - Bloomberg. (Bloomberg, D. R. Baker and M. Dent, 17 September 2019) [Accessed: 17-Oct-2019][click to view], [13] Bloomberg, D. R. Baker and M. Dent, 17 September 2019. Though somewhat controversial, the LPO has been successful in its statutory mission of supporting commercial deployment of large-scale advanced clean energy technologies that might otherwise not have secured financing. The BLMs draft environmental impact statement, released in 2010, determined construction of the project would result in a loss of habitat. [click to view], [12] National Parks Conservation Association. [Accessed: 16-Oct-2019][click to view], [12] National Parks Conservation Association. (Accessed: 16-Oct-2019). But so far, only 200 megawatts of energy have been purchased. [click to view], [2] Los Angeles Times, Taylor Goldenstein, Feb. 9. 4. Average annual rainfall: 4 in.
Right-of-way for construction and transportation of energy and electricity while stating that applicable law, ordinances, regulations and standards [4] are required to be met and applied in order to reduce the adverse impacts mentioned by the protesters in the DPRR. Defense Daily subscriber and registered users, please log in here to access the content. First Solar identified a site on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land just north of Desert Center, about 60 miles east of the Palm Springs area and about 1.5 miles from the border of Joshua Tree National Park. Indigenous tribes criticized the DSSF project for destroying ancient tribal artifacts and sacred sites [15]. The two largest solar power plants in the worldDesert Sunlight and Topaz Solar Farm, about 400 miles (640 km) to the west in central Californiahave come online in the past three months. "Another big solar farm coming to California desert. (Accessed: 17-Oct-2019). On the other hand, the Obama administration gave the development of renewable energy sources priority by pledging to generate 20 gigawatts of power by 2020, which equals powering six million homes. While the first U.S. solar plant, built in 1982, generated 1 megawatt of electricity, Desert Sunlight generates 550 megawatts. The project developing company predicts monetary incomes and respectively community benefits of US$15 mio in sale tax revenue, US$12 mio in property tax revenue, estimated US$336 mio direct or indirect benefit due to subcontractors, suppliers, and service providers.
Does it imply the use of water softener or/and other chemicals? [4] The DSSF covers about 4,410 acres (ca. The company also successfully increased its panels energy output, recording the highest efficiency standards so far for any thin-film technology. Drought-related declines in electricity in the production of hydroelectricity (dropping by 83% between 2011 and 2015) are an important reason why the US state of California invests and builds solar farms at an increasing rate [1]. Groundwater use at solar project draws concerns,(Accessed: 11-Oct-2019). The energy business itself is also changing. [click to view], [15 Solar farm outside Joshua Tree National Park gets go-ahead from Trump. In the case of DSSF, it is within 1.5 miles from Joshua Tree National Park. Together their impact on carbon emissions is equivalent to taking 130,000 cars off the road while providing 340,000 homes with clean energy. Before 2009, no solar projects were permitted on public land in California. The Desert Sunlight Solar Farm (DSSF) is located less than two miles south of the Californian Joshua Tree National Park. The funding is handled by Goldman Sachs Lending Partners and the Citigroup [3]. (The Desert Sun, Sammy Roth, 17 May 2018) [Accessed: 17-Oct-2019][click to view], SOLAR POWER: Inland plants boost state to No. First Solars Krum says that he doesnt expect many more large solar stations to come online anytime soon. The size of the project meant some measures needed to be taken to speed construction. Seminole Electric Cooperative Sees Big Challenges from Clean Power Plan, Coal Pulverizer Maintenance Improves Boiler Combustion, Biomass-Fed Organic Rankine Cycle Units Make It Big, 2 Billion Underserved Customers Are Waiting for Energy Services, Termosolar Borges, Les Borges Blanques, Spain, Germany: Utilities Must Shoulder Nuclear Phase-Out Costs, Olkaria Geothermal Expansion Project, Rift Valley Province, Kenya, Optimize Boiler Combustion Using Improved Flue Gas Measurement, Ivanpah Launches as the Worlds Largest CSP Plant, Top Plants: El Dorado Energys Solar Facility, Boulder City, Nevada, New Materials, Efficiency Upgrades Advancing Solar Technologies, Mesquite Solar 1, Maricopa County, Arizona, It's Not About Base Load Performance Anymore, From the Lab to the Field: Making the Most of Your Microgrid, "The use of advanced simulation in the design of the Xe-100 Advanced Reactor Power Plant". Center for Biological Diversity, 5. Fish, wildlife, plants, special status species: Golden Eagles; and Desert Tortoises habitat connectivity might be impacted and the FEIS does not identify how a translocation would mitigate these species. Unlike the more common crystalline silicon photovoltaic panels, Desert Sunlight uses First Solars cadmium-telluride thin-film solar technology. On the one hand, developing large scale solar projects in the state of California has become increasingly challenging as new federal regulations seek to decrease the environmental footprint and impact of especially large-scale projects. [Online Accessed: 04-Oct-2019][click to view], [3] Desert Sunlight Photovoltaic (PV) Solar Farm, California - Renewable Technology. [Online Accessed: 17-Oct-2019][click to view], [3] Desert Sunlight Photovoltaic (PV) Solar Farm, California - Renewable Technology. (Renewable Technology) [Accessed: 17-Oct-2019][click to view], [4] Solar Energy , National Parks , and Landscape Protection in the Desert Southwest Executive Summary. Itd be safe to say just about every day youre going to get some sunlight, says Steve Krum, a spokesman for First Solar, which built and operates the plant. But now its economical.. Along with Joshua Tree, the area hosts several world-famous national parks such as Death Valley. Weve got you covered! [click to view], [8] KCET, Cris Clarke, September 18, 2012. The complaints of the different groups mentioned in the above section have been addressed in various ways.
Solar was seen as a small solution to small problems, a novel way for your environmentally minded neighbor to show off his green credentials, yet too expensive to ever be economical. The sites millions of 2-by-4-ft. (0.6 by 1.2 m) panels are each covered by a thin film of glass that absorbs sunlight and captures electrons, creating an electrical current that flows into wires in the back of each module. The DSSF project is owned by a joint venture of Next Era Energy Resources, GE Energy Financial Services, Sumitomo (50% owner [1]) and Corporation of America [6]. Click here to login, 2022, Portfolio Media, Inc. | About | Contact Us | Legal Jobs | Advertise with Law360 | Careers at Law360 | Terms | Privacy Policy | Cookie Settings | Help | Site Map, Enter your details below and select your area(s) of interest to stay ahead of the curve and receive Law360's daily newsletters, Email (NOTE: Free email domains not supported). But First Solar, which is based in Tempe, Ariz., and bought the rights to Desert Sunlight in 2010, has shied away from silicon and instead produces thin-film panels made with cadmium telluride, which can be cheaper than silicon but less efficient in converting sunlight into energy. 2015. 2022 Access Intelligence, LLC - All Rights Reserved, Owners/operator: NextEra Energy Resources, NRG Yield, and Sumitomo Corp. of Americas/NextEra Energy. First Solar reached out to the California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG) and the U.S. Please see our Privacy Policy.
